Have you wanted a new friend? Many ladies find it easy to make friends and consider everyone a potential friend. However, for others, making new connections feels more complicated.
If you find it a challenge to make new friends, here are some tips to help you transition from acquaintance to friendship.
1. Pray – Tell God how much you want a close friend. Ask Him who to guide, and point out a woman at church or in your neighborhood to talk with.
2. Initiate a Conversation– When God prompts you to talk with a woman, take the initiative to start a conversation. Approach her and introduce yourself. Here’s a sample script you can use.
“Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Joyce. What’s your name?”
Then you could follow up with one of these questions.
- How long have you been coming here?
- How do you fill your time? (This allows for both women staying home and those working full or part-time to answer the question.)
What do you enjoy doing for fun?
3. Made a Connection– If you both found it easy to carry on a conversation, then suggest you get together again. Ask for her phone number and find out whether she prefers a call or a text. Promise to contact her soon.
4. Follow Up – Later in the week, send her a text or give her a call and set up a time to meet in a public space. Maybe you meet for coffee or lunch. I usually take the initiative to make the first call or text. If she doesn’t get back to me, I assume she’s not interested, and I look for another potential friend.
5. Assess the Relationship– If you felt comfortable talking with her, consider inviting her to your home or plan another time to meet in public. However, I don’t usually ask a new woman to my house until I have spent more time with her one-on-one and feel we share common interests.
6. Maintain the Connection– Plan to meet with your new friend once a week or each month. Friendships flourish when we make an effort to stay connected. If we don’t maintain that connection, the relationship often fades away.
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother can. ~Proverbs 18:24
First published in January 2022 by Joyce Zook.
